Portable swimming pool



June 21, 1966 R. M. LINDSEY ET AL PORTABLE SWIMMING POOL 5 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed NOV. 12, 1964 Ln... WW

B M U a H W M June 21, 1966 LI D ET AL 3,256,532

PORTABLE SWIMMING POOL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 M 4h, E S. m0 Q I 1 m WW E s "w ME. w m D a? I M m w W... 4 W mJ L m J M fla r w ||i0 1: W M j r 1. Q T Ml a. E H u 5 s N u .l 2v 7 E .2 1 0 H .1 d W E fl aH J Mr 6 5 p R 5 lilli M, f K 9 1 v w lllll 4 m 5 j .M

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June 21, 1966 UNDSEY ET AL 3,256,532

PORTABLE SWIMMING POOL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 UnitedStates Patent 3,256,532 PORTABLE SWIMMING POOL Robert M. Lindsey, LaCanada, and John T. Wilson, San Marino, Califi, assignors to Port-A-PoolCorp orat1on, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California FiledNov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,539 17 Claims. (Cl. 4-172) This inventionrelates to swimming pools and more particularly to portable swimmingpools which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled.

The typical portable swimming pool is cylindrical and rather small,being primarily for use by small children in the back yard of aresidence. These circular pools are much too small for use in teachingswimming to larger children or for use by adults. In addition, thecylindrical pools when dismantled require a large space for storage.Some polygonal portable swimming pools have been designed but many ofthem are too small and the larger ones require lateral supportsextending beyond the pool periphery to limit the deflection of the sidewalls of the pool caused by the water contained therein, therebycreating a safety hazard particularly for children who may trip over orbump against these lateral supports. Furthermore, the larger portablepools of the prior art usually require considerable time for theirassembly and disassembly.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a portableswimming pool which will generally overcome the problems existing in theprior art portable pools.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable swimming poolwhich can be quickly assembled and disassembled and in the disassembledcondition requires only a small space for storage. In one instance, thiswas accomplished by constructing a pool of a plurality of generallystraight and flat members which would require a minimum amount ofstorage space when the pool was disassembled. Connecting meansreleasably secure these plurality of members together to provide forquick and easy assembly and disassembly of the pool.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable swimmingpool which requires no outside lateral supports which extend laterallybeyond the generally vertical walls of the pool. More particularly, itis an object of this invention to provide a polygonal or rectangularportable swimming pool having a strong rectangular lower railing and aplurality of straps extending between opposed sides of the rectangularrailing to prevent substantial outward deflection thereof. A pluralityof generally vertical posts releasably connect the lower rectangularrailing to a strong rectangular. upper railing having approximately thesame dimensions as the lower rectangular railing. A waterproof liner isreleasably secured to the upper rectangular railing and forms the watercontaining portion of the pool. Outward movement of the waterproof lineris restained by a plurality of panel members which may be releasablysecured to adjacent vertical posts and/ or the rectangular railings.This structure, in which all metal parts are preferably made of a strongsteel, holds the outward deflection of the side walls of the portablepool to a minimum and requires no lateral supports extending outwardlybeyond the periphery of the upper rectangular railing.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel details ofconstruction for a portable swimming pool which provide a strongstructure that can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled.More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novelcorner construction for a polygonal swimming pool. Such cornerconstruction may include a baseplate at a corner of the swimming pooland first and second lower side rails with at least one of its wallsoverlying and releasably se- "ice cured to the baseplate. A' corner posthaving downwardly extending brackets is releasably secured to the web ofeach of the side rails and extends upwardly preferably from above thetop of the flanges of the side rails. In one form of the invention, thereleaseable securing means comprises bolts extending upwardly from thebaseplate and through the side rails and the downwardly extendingbrackets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel means forrleasably securing the ends of the straps to the sides of the lowerrectangular railing. Such means may include a plate positioned in ahook-shaped end section of the strap, releasable clamping means forfrictionally securing at least a portion of the hook-shaped section tothe top of the plate, and means for securing the plate to one side wallof the swimming pool. In one specific embodiment, the clamping meansincluded a plurality of tabs bolted at one end to the plate and bearingdownwardly against a portion of the hook-shaped section at the other endthereof.

Another object is to provide improved means for securing a Waterproofliner to the supporting structure of the pool. In one instance suchimproved means included a clip having a flange portion and means toreleasably hold the waterproof liner in the supporting structure. Theclip was positioned along the upper rectangular railing with a holddownbar disposed along the flange portion and secured to the upperrectangular railing for preventing portions of the clip from pullingaway from the upper rectangular railing.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable swimmingpool in which the waterproof liner is prevented from being forcedoutwardly through any spaces which may appear in the supportingstructure for the liner. In one instance this was accomplished bypositioning resilient means along the lower and vertical edges of therectangular pool to prevent the water contained by the liner whichexerts high pressure thereon from forcing a portion of the liner throughthe supporting structure along these edges. The resilient means alsoprovides a cushioning effect for whatever may strike thereagainst.

A further object of this invention is to provide a swimming pool havinga removable cover thereon to prevent accidents when the pool isunatended and to prevent unauthorized use thereof. In one embodiment thecover included a plurality of decking elements supported by supportingsurfaces adjacent the upper rectangular railing and extending across thepool between opposed side walls thereof. To prevent unauthorized removalof the decking elements two elongated angle members having end platessecured to each end thereof are pivotally mounted to the ends of theupper rectangular railing. The angle mem bers are so constructed andarranged as to be pivotable between a locking position in which they fitover the ends of the decking elements to lock the decking elementsagainst the supporting surface and a releasing position in which theangle members form shelves along the upper rectangular railing of thepool and the ends of the elements are no longer locked against the uppersupporting surfaces.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects andadvantages thereof, may best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is'a perspective view of the portable swimming pool with portionsof the cover broken away to expose the interior of the pool;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1 andshowing details of the side wall construction;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view partially in section taken along line 33 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 44 in FIG. 1 showing atypical top corner of the portable swimming pool;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view partially in sectiontaken along line 55 of FIG. 1 and showing the details of the lowercorner construction;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the swimming pool in an initial stage ofassembly;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded view in perspective showing the assemblyof the corner and side post construction;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded view in perspective showing theconstruction of the upper railings;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing how the liner is securedto the upper rectangular railing;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view partially in section showing an anglemember locking the decking elements against the upper supportingsurface; and

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 1111 in FIG. 10.

FIG. 1 depicts a large portable rectangular swimming pool or container15 which can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. It isbelieved that the novel swimming pool 15 and its novel details ofconstruction may best be understood by describing them in connectionwith a suitable mode of assembly.

The first steps in assembly of the rectangular pool 15 are to positionfour L-shaped corner plates 17, 19, 21, and 23 at the corners of therectangular pool and to position three strong elongated straps 25, 27and 29 so that they extend between opposed sides of the pool as shown inFIG. 6. The straps 25, 27, and 29 are constructed of metal, preferably astrong steel. Although any number of straps may be provided, in oneparticular embodiment three straps evenly spaced as shown in FIG. 6 werefound desirable. The metal straps and the corner plates are positionedon a suitable supporting surface 31 which may be, for example, concrete,asphalt, a lawn, or any piece of ground or structure which will suitablysupport the weight of the pool and the water which it contains.

A particular arrangement for connecting one end of the strap to theother components of the pool is shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. The strap 25 hasa reverse bend 33 adjacent one end thereof to form a hook-shaped section35, the end of the hook-shaped section being bifurcated to form abifurcated section 37. A plate 39 is disposed in the hook-shaped sectionso that the plate and the supporting surface 31 frictionally secure thestrap therebetween. A generally vertical side post 41, preferably asteel T-section, and two threaded lugs 43 and 45 are welded to the plate39 and extend upwardly therefrom, the side post having an outwardlyextending flange 47 which is received in the bifurcated section 37 ofthe strap 25. Two lower side rails or lower channels 49 and 51, whichform a portion of a lower rectangular railing 53 (FIG. 1) and which arepreferably strong steel channels with apertured end portions, are placedover the lugs 43 and 45 respectively so that the lugs protrude throughthe apertures. The lower side rails 49 and 51 have open ends abuttingthe side post 41 and stop short of the strap 25 as shown in FIG. 3. Inthe specific embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, six side posts 41 areprovided and the lower rectangular railing includes ten lower side railsreleasably secured together.

Releasable clamping means for frictionally securing at least a portionof the hook-shaped section 35 .to the top of the plate 39 is provided.As shown in FIG. 7, the clamping means may include two apertured tabs 55and 57 which overlie the lower railings 49 and 51 respectively and arereleasably secured to the lugs 43 and 45 respectively by washers 59 andnuts 61. The apertured tabs 55 and 57 have enlarged end portions 63 and65 respectively which bear downwardly against a portion of I corner post87 in position.

the hook-shaped section 35 to frictionally secure the latter I againstthe plate 39. The other end of the strap 25 and the other ends of theremaining straps are secured to similar side posts 41 and plates 39 inthe same manner. Thus, the straps 25, 27, and 29 are the primary meansfor preventing substantial outward movement of the lower railings 49 and51.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 the lower side rail 51 has a closed end 67 andtwo apertures adjacent the closed end which are adapted to receive twothreaded lugs 69 and 71 rigidly secured to and extending upwardly fromthe corner plate 23. Another lower railing 73 having an open end 75receives another threaded lug 77 on the corner plate 23. In FIG. 5. itcan be seen that the lower side rail 73 is nearly contiguous to thelower side rail or channel 51 and that each includes two upwardlyextending flanges 81 and 33 connected by a web 85 in the conventionalmanner. The remaining lower side rails which make up the lowerrectangular railing are of similar construction. A generally verticalcorner post 87 which is preferably a steel angle member has twodownwardly extending brackets 89 and 91 welded thereto and provides abottom surface 92, the brackets having generally horizontally integralapertured supporting flanges 93 and 95 respectively at their lower endfor receiving the lugs 59 and 77 respectively. The supporting flanges 93and 95 are preferably sufliciently beneath the bottom surface 92 of thecorner post 87 so that the bottom surface of the corner post issupported above the flanges 81 and 83 of the lower side rails 51 and 73.Washers 97 and bolts 99 are then turned on the lugs 69, 71, and 77 tosecure the cornerplate 23, the lower side rails 51 and 73, and the Thisprocedure is repeated for the other three cornerplates 17, 19, and 21.

A rectangular upper railing 101 preferably constructed of steel channelsand of approximately the same dimensions as the lower rectangularrailing 53 is then secure-d to the upper ends of the side posts 41 andthe end posts 87. The upper rectangular railing 101 may include tworelatively short upper side rails 103 having open ends 105 and tworelatively long upper side rails 107 having closed ends 109 as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the upper siderails 103 and 107 are steel channel members with downwardly extendingflanges and they extend continuously between adjacent cornerposts 87.The side posts 41 have rectangular apertured supporting plates 111welded to their upper ends and the four cornerposts 87 have generallyhorizontal, substantially L-shaped, apertured supporting plates 113welded to their upper ends. The upper side rails 103 and 107 havedownwardly extending threaded lugs 115 and 117 respectively which areadapted to be received by the apertured supporting plates 111 and 113.The upper side rail 107 is provided with a cut-out portion 119 (FIG. 8)at its junction with the side rail 103 to allow the side rails to fitover the generally L-shaped supporting plate 113. Suitable washers 121and nuts 123 secure the lugs 115 and 117 to their respective supportingplates.

A plurality of panels 125 preferably constructed of plywood arereleasably secured to the side posts 41 and to the corner posts 87.Preferably, each of the panels 125 is of sufiicient length to extendbetween adjacent corner and/ or side posts, although longer or shorterpanels may 'be used if desired. In the specific embodiment illustrated,the distances between adjacent side posts 41 and/ or corner posts 87 aresubstantially equal and accordingly, ten of the panels 125 arepreferably used. The panels 125 are preferably of suificient height toextend from the supporting surface 31 to the upper surface of the upperrectangular railing 101. The panels 125 should be sufii- -ciently thickto resist lateral forces exerted by the water contained in the pool. Asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of T-nuts 127 having prongs 129 arerigidly secured at suitable intervals in each of the panels 125. TheT-nuts extend through suitable apertures in the side posts 41 and theend posts 37 and are secured thereto by threaded securing means 131.Similar T-nuts may be provided to secure the panels 125 to the upperrectangular railing 101 and to the lower rectangular railing 53 ifdesired. To provide flexibility, the panels 125 preferably are slightlyspaced apart at the corner posts 87 as showninFIG. 5.

A clip 133 (FIG. 2) is secured to an upper surface 135 of the upperrectangular railing 101. The clip 133 includes an inwardly facinggrooved portion 137 and a flange portion 139 extending outwardly. Ahold-down bar 140 preferably of metal overlies the flange portion 139and is secured to the upper rectangular railing 101 along with theflange portion by a plurality of countersunk flathead bolts 141, thetops of which are flush with the upper surface of the hold-down bar 140.As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferred to have the inwardly facing portion137 extend inwardly a sufficient distance to rest on the upper surfaceof the panels 125 and to be generally flush with the inner surface ofthe panels.

The flange portion 139 has a plurality of slits 143 therein at eachcorner of the pool as shown in FIG. 4 to form curved portions 144 whichcurve around the corners of the pool. As shown in FIG. 4, the flangeportion 139 is displaced laterally from the upper surface 135 of theupper rectangular railing 101 as it curves around the corner of thepool. Of course, the inwardly facing portion 137 of the curved portion144 is not flush with the inner surface of the panels 125 at the poolcorners. The holddown bar 140 preferably terminates at the curvedportion 144. A corner cover 144a is secured to the upper rectangularrailing 101 by screws 144b and holds down the flange portion 139 of thecurved portion 144.

A flexible waterproof liner 145 having a resilient bead 147 around itsupper edge is inserted in the inwardly facing grooved portion 137 of theclip 133 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9. The liner 145 is adapted to holdlarge quantities of water and is preferably a vinyl material. Theinwardly facing grooved portion 137 and the resilient bead 147 forminterlocking means which can be disengaged by pulling horizontally onthe liner 145 adjacent the bead 147 but cannot be disengaged by verticalforces which may be exerted on the liner. The liner 145 will hangvertically from the inwardly facing grooved portion 137 downthe innersurface of the plywood panels 125. The liner 145 has a bottom 148 (FIG.2) which overlies a vinyl mat 149 which rests on the supporting surface31. The mat 149 will protect the bottom 148 of the liner 145 from sharpor rough objects which may overlie the supporting surface 31 and alsoprovides a cushion for users of the pool.

When the pool is filled with water, considerable outward pressure isexerted on the liner 145 forcing the latter outwardly against the panels125. The panels 125 and the other components of the pool which resistthis outward force form the strong supporting structure of the pool.Because the panels 125 are not contiguous at the corners or verticaledges and may not engage the supporting surface 31, if the latter isuneven, along the full length of the panels, it is conceivable that thishigh outward pressure could force a portion of the liner 145 outwardlybetween panels at the corners or between a panel and the supportingsurface 31. If this were to occur the liner 145 could be pinched andbroken between the supporting surface 31 and the panels 125 or betweenadjacent panels at the corners. To avoid this and to provide a cushionfor the users of the pool, a strip 151 of resilient material such asneoprene is laid around the lower edges of the pool as shown in FIG. 2to provide a seal. The cross section of the strip 151 is preferablytrapezodial as shown in FIG. 2. Similar vertical strips 153 which arepreferably trapezodial in cross section and which may have one sidethereof glued to an adjacent panel 125 are disposed at the four cornersof the pool as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the supporting structure 'of thepool is devoid of openings which may allow the pool liner to moveoutwardly beyond the panels 125.

With the pool so assembled it includes opposed side walls 154 and 154a,a bottom wall 154!) and other opposed side walls 154C and 154d and maybe filled with water. As the portable pool is quite large, e.g. onespecific construction was 16 wide x 24 long x 3'6" high, and will holdmany gallons of water, the force exerted on the supporting structure ofthe pool particularly when it is being used by a large number ofswimmers is great. The heavy steel construction and the novel structuraldetails of this invention, however, eliminate the need for lateralsupport extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the upperrectangular railing 101.

To prevent accidents with the pool while it is unattended and to preventunauthorized use thereof a cover 155 (FIG. 1) is locked over the openupper end of the pool. elements 157 having channel-shaped crosssections, longitudinal stiffening grooves 158, and locking flanges 159as shown in FIG. 11. For additional rigidity a plurality of stiffeningplates 161? are welded preferably to the ends and midpoints of thechannel-shaped decking elements.

If this is done, the stiffening plates 160 should not extend to thelocking flanges 159 as shown in FIG. 11, but will terminate between thebottom of groove 158 and the locking flanges 159. A bar 161 is securedto the upper surface 135 of the upper rectangular railing 161 by weldsas shown in FTG. 2 and may extend completely around the upperrectangular railing. The bar 151 provides upper decking or supportingsurfaces 165 on which the ends of the decking elements 157 rest. Thedecking elements 157 preferably extend across the pool between theopposed side walls 154 and 154a which include the decking supportingsurfaces as seen in FIG. 1. The decking elements 157 could, however,extend between the opposed side walls 1540 and 154d if desired.Preferably, the locking flanges 159 of adjacent decking elements 157overlap as shown in FIG. 11 to lock the decking elements together.

To lock the decking elements 157 in position, an elongatedoutwardly-swingable angle member having a pair of legs or flanges 177and 179 disposed at right angles is provided. An end plate 181 having ahinge slot 183 and a locking aperture 185 is welded to one end of theangle member 175 and another end plate 187 having only a slot (notshown) corresponding to the slot 183 is welded at the other end of theangle member. A pivot bolt 191 and a pivot pin 193 are suitably securedto and project laterally outwardly from the closed ends 169 of the upperside rail 197 that forms a part of the side wall 154a and a lockingaperture 195 aligned with the aperture 185 is provided in the adjacentside rail near the bolt 191 (FIG. 11). With the angle member 175disposed as shown in the solid lines in FIG. 10, a suitable lock 197 maybe inserted through the thenaligned locking apertures 185 and 195 tolock the.angle member in position against outward swinging ordisplacement. Another lock may be employed for the end plate 187 ifsuitable apertures in such end plate and the closed end 109 areprovided. A second angle member 199 which is identical to the anglemember 175 is similarly disposed on the upper side rail 107 of the wall154. Thus, both ends of the decking elements 157 are locked in positionagainst the upper supporting surface 165. Lateral movement of thedecking element 157 is prevented by the end plates 181 and 187.

The cover 155 includes a plurality of decking a shelf along and adjacentthe decking supporting surfaces 165 of the pool. In this position theends of the decking elements are no longer locked against the deckingsupporting surfaces. The angle member 199 may be similarly pivoted tothe releasing position and the decking 157 may then be removed andstored. The angle members 175 and 199 in the releasing position formshelves in which various articles utilized near a pool such as thefilling hoses may be conveniently placed.

It is apparent that the pool 15 disclosed herein possesses manyadvantages including quick and easy assembly and disassembly, andrequiring only a small storage space for the components of the pool whenin the disassembled condition. This portable pool while capable of beingconstructed in large sizes, requires no outside supports which extendlaterally beyond the periphery of the upper rectangular railing 101. Thepool of the present invention is therefore much safer for use bychildren as no braces or supports extend outwardly over which suchchildren may fall. Unauthorized use of the pool is prevented by use ofthe removable covering 155.

The particular construction disclosed herein may be subjected to variouschanges, modifications, and substitutions without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable above-ground rectangular swimming pool which can bequickly and easily assembled and dismantled and adapted to rest on asupporting surface comprising:

a rectangular lower railing resting on and supported by said supportingsurface having a plurality of lower side rails and means for detachablysecuring said lower side rails together adjacent their ends to form thefour sides of said lower-rectangular railing;

a plurality of straps resting on said surface and extending betweenopposed sides of said lower rectangular railing, each of said strapsincluding means adjacent the ends of the straps for detachably securingsuch ends to the side rails forming such opposed sides of said lowerrectangular railing;

a strong rectangular upper railing of approximately the same dimensionsas said lower rectangular railing, said upper rectangular railingincluding a plurality of upper side rails and means for detachablysecuring said upper side rails together adjacent their ends to form thefour sides of said rectangular upper railing;

a plurality of generally vertical posts detachably secured to said upperrailing and to said lower railing at least four of such posts beingrespectively at the corresponding corners of said railings; and

a plastic waterproof liner releasably secured to said upper rectangularrailing and adapted to contain a large quantitiy of water, said poolbeing free of lateral support extending outwardly beyond the peripheryof said upper rectangular railing.

2. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 further comprising a pluralityof panels extending between said upper and lower railings, and means fordetachably connecting said panels to said posts, said panels restrainingoutward movement of said liner.

3. A swimming pool as defined in claim 2 further comprising resilientmeans between said liner and said panels along the lower and generallyvertical edges of said rectangular pool for providing a cushioning meansand to prevent said water from forcing said liner outwardly along saidlower edges and said generally vertical edges.

4. In a polygonal above-ground container which can be quickly and easilyassembled and disassembled and having side walls the combination of:

a corner plate at a corner of said polygonal container acting as afoundation member;

first and second lower side rails releasably secured to and overlyingsaid corner plate, each of said side rails having a web and at least oneupwardly extending flange, said lower side rails extending in diflerentdirections from said corner plate to form portions of said side walls ofsaid container;

a corner post extending upwardly from said corner plate and said lowerside rails;

a plurality of brackets rigidly secured to said corner post andextending outwardly therefrom for supporting said corner post; and

means for releasably securing said brackets to said corner plate withsaid webs of said lower side rails therebetween.

5. In a polygonal above-ground swimming pool which can be quickly andeasily assembled and disassembled and having side walls the combinationof:

a corner plate at a corner of said polygonal swimming pool acting as afoundation member, said comer plate having a plurality of upwardlyextending lugs thereon; l

first and second lower channels overlying said corner plate andextending in different directions from said corner late to form portionsof said side walls of said swimming pool, each of said channels havingat least two spaced upwardly extending flanges connected by a Web, saidlugs of said corner plates passing through said webs;

a corner post above and extending upwardly from the top of said upwardlyextending flanges; and

bracket means for supporting said corner posts above said flanges andincluding at least one bracket on said corner post extending beneath thebottom of said corner post, said bracket having a supporting flangeadjacent its lower end for receiving 'at least one of said lugs.

6. A swimming pool as defined in claim 5 wherein said corner post has atop plate rigidly secured to its upper end;and

first and second upper side rails detachably secured to said top plateand extending generally parallel to said first and second lowerchannels, respectively.

7. A rectangular portable above-ground swimming pool which can bequickly and easily assembled and disassembled comprising:

' a lower rectangular railing having four corners and including aplurality of lower side rails each with at least two upwardly extendingflanges connected by a web;

a corner plate beneath each of said corners of said lower rectangularrailing acting as a foundation member, said corner plates having aplurality of upwardly extending lugs thereon, the corners of said lowerrectangular railing having apertures through the lower side railsthereof adapted to receive said lugs;

four corner posts, one above and extending upwardly from the top of saidflan es at each of said corner platse; and

bracket means for supporting said corner posts above said flangesandincluding at least one bracket extending downwardly beneath the bottomof each of said corner posts, said bracket having a supporting flangeadjacent its bottom for receiving at least one of said lugsv 8. In aportable above-ground rectangular swimming pool which can be quickly andeasily assembled and disassembled and having a plurality of side wallsand resting on a supporting surface, the combination of:

a strap for strengthening said swimming pool positioned on saidsupporting surface and having a reverse bend adjacent one end thereof toform a hook-shaped section forming a part of said strap, said strapextending between two of said side walls;

means for detachably securing said hook-shaped section to a first ofsaid side walls of said swimming pool at a position at the bottom ofsuch side wall between the corners of said pool; and

means for securing the other end of said strap to a second of side wallsof said swimming pool whereby said straps substantially prevent saidfirst and second side walls of said swimming pool from moving a art.

9. 1 swimming pool as defined in claim 8 wherein said first side walland said second side wall are opposed.

10. A swimming pool as defined in claim 8 wherein said means forsecuring said hook-shaped section includes clamping means to releasablysecure at least a portion of said hook-shaped section to said first sidewall.

11. In a portable above-ground rectangular swimming pool which can bequickly and easily assembled and disassembled on a supporting surface,said pool having a waterproof liner with a bottom wall supportedvertically by the supporting surface and with sides supported laterallyby a plurality of side walls detachably connected together, thecombination of:

a strap for strengthening said swimming pool positioned on saidsupporting surface below said bottom wall and having a reverse bendadjacent one end thereof to form a hook-shaped section, said strapextending between two of said side walls that are opposed to each other;

a plate in said hook-shaped section at the bottom of one of such opposedside walls, said strap passing between said plate and said supportingsurface for frictionally securing said strap therebetween;

releasable clamping means for securing at least a por tion of saidhook-shaped section to the top of said plate; and

means for releasably securing the other end of said strap to the otherof said opposed side walls, said plate forming a portion of said one ofsaid side walls whereby said strap substantially prevents the bottoms ofsaid opposed side walls of said swimming pool from moving apart.

12. A swimming pool as set forth in claim 11 wherein said releasableclamping means includes a plurality of tabs, each of said tabs beingbolted at one end to said plates and bearing downwardly against saidportion of said hook-shaped section at the other ends thereof.

13. In a rectangular portable above-ground swimming pool which can bequickly and easily assembled and disassembled on a supporting surface,said pool having a waterproof liner with a bottom wall supportedvertically by said supporting surface and with sides supported laterallyby two pairs of opposed side Walls, the combination of:

a plurality of straps for strengthening said swimming pool eachpositioned on said supporting surface and each extending between a pairof said opposed side walls, each of said straps having a reverse bend atboth ends thereof to form hook-shaped sections;

plates in said hook-shaped sections, said plates and said supportingsurface frictionally securing said straps therebetween;

clamping means bolted to said plates for frictionally securing portionsof the hook-shaped sections to the tops of said plates; and

means for securing said plates to said side walls of said rectangularswimming pool whereby said straps substantially prevent said side wallsfrom moving outwardly.

14. A portable swimming pool which can be quickly and easily assembledand disassembled and adapted to rest on a supporting surface comprising:

a supporting structure with an upper railing therearound;

a clip secured to said upper railing and extending completely aroundsaid supporting structure, said clip having an inwardly facing portionand a flange portion extending outwardly;

a waterproof liner in said supporting structure, said liner having abottom supported by said supporting surface and an upper edge;

interlocking means on said upper edge of said diner *and said inwardlyfacing portion of said clip to releasably secure said liner to saidclip; and

a hold-down bar disposed on and along said flange portion and secured tosaid upper railing for preventing portions of said clip from pullingaway from said upper railing.

15. A rectangular swimming pool comprising:

a water-retaining structure having first and second opposed side wallswith decking supporting surfaces thereon;

a cover for said pool including a plurality of adjacent decking elementssupported by said decking supporting surfaces and extending across saidpool from said first opposed side wall to said second opposed side wall;

two elongated angle members with end plates secured to the ends thereof;

first means pivotally mounting a first of said two elongated anglemembers to an upper portion of said first opposed side wall; and

second means pivotally mounting a second of said two elongated anglemembers to an upper portion of said second opposed wall, said anglemembers being pivotal between a locking position in which they fit overthe ends of said decking elements to lock said decking elements againstsaid decking supporting surfaces and a releasing position in which saidangle members form shelves along the decking supporting surfaces of thepool and the ends of said decking elements are no longer locked againstthe decking supporting surfaces.

16. A swimming pool as defined in claim 15 wherein each of said firstand second means includes a slot in each of said end plates and a pinfor each end plate protruding from the ends of said opposed side wallsto engage said slot to allow pivoting of said elongated angle members.

17. A portable rectangular swimming pool which can be quickly and easilyassembled and disassembled and adapted to rest on a supporting surfacecomprising:

a rectangular lower railing on said supporting surface having aplurality of lower side rails releasably secured together adjacent theirends to define the four sides of said lower rectangular railing; acorner plate beneath each corner of said lower rectangular railing, saidcorner plates having a plurality of upwardly extending lugs thereon;four corner posts respectively above and extending upwardly at saidcorners of said rectangular pool; bracket means for supporting saidcorner posts above said corner plates and said lower rectangularrailing, said means including at least one bracket ex tending downwardlyfrom the bottom of each of said corner posts, said brackets havingsupporting flanges adjacent their bottoms for receiving at least one ofsaid lugs;

a plurality of straps extending between said sides of said lowerrectangular railing, each of said straps having a reverse bend adjacentboth ends thereof to form hook-shaped sections; plates in saidhook-shaped sections, said plates and said supporting surfacefrictionally securing said straps therebetween;

releasable clamping means for frictionally securing at least a portionof said hook-shaped sections to the top of said plates;

a strong rectangular upper railing of approximately the same dimensionsas said lower rectangular railing, said upper rectangular railingincluding a plurality of side rails releasably secured together adjacenttheir ends;

a plurality of generally vertical posts releasably secured to said upperrectangular railing and to said lower rectangular railing;

a clip secured to said upper rectangular railing and extending aroundsaid upper rectangular railing, said clip having an inwardly facingportion and a flange portion extending outwardly;

a waterproof liner adapted to contain a large quantity of water withinthe confines of said upper and lower rectangular railings, said linerhaving a bottom supported by said supporting surface and an upper edge;

interlocking means on said upper edge of said liner and said inwardlyfacing portion of said clip to releasably secure said liner to saidclip;

a hold-down bar disposed on and along said flange portion and secured tosaid upper rectangular railing for preventing portions of said clip frompulling away from said upper rectangular railing, the upper surface ofsaid upper rectangular railing providing decking support surfaces;

a plurality of decking elements supported by said decking supportingsurfaces and extending across said pool from a first opposed side ofsaid upper rectangularrailing to a second opposed side of said upperrectangular railing;

two elongated angle members with end plates at the ends thereof;

- first means pivotally mounting a first of said two elonrailing at saidsecond opposed side thereof, said angle members being pivotal between alocking position in which they fit over the ends of said deckingelements to lock said decking elements against said decking supportingsurfaces and a releasing position in which said angle members formshelves along the decking supporting surfaces of said pool and the endsof said decking elements are no longer locked against said deckingsupporting surfaces;

a plurality of panels releasably secured to said posts, said panelsrestraining outward movement of said liner; and

resilient means between said liner and said panels along the lower andgenerally vertical edges of said rectangular pool for providing acushioning means and to prevent said large quantity of water fromforcing said liner outwardly along said lower edges and said verticaledges.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,633 5/1952Black 52--656 3,020,560 2/1962 Bedick 4-172 7 3,059,243 10/1962 Ross etal 4-172 3,142,069 7/1964 OConnell et a1 4-172 3,192,538 .7/1965 Walter4172 3,225,362 12/1965 Barrera 4172 FOREIGN PATENTS 324,588 10/ 1957Switzerland.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. ARTIS, Examiner.

1. A PORTABLE ABOVE-GROUND RECTANGULAR SWIMMING POOL WHICH CAN BEQUICKLY AND EASILY ASSEMBLED AND DISMANTLED AND ADATPED TO REST ON ASUPPORTING SURFACE COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR LOWER RAILING RESTING ONAND SUPPORTED BY SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LOWERSIDE RAILS AND MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID LOWER SIDE RAILSTOGETHER ADJACENT THEIR ENDS TO FORM THE FOUR SIDES OF SAID LOWERRECTANGULAR RAILING; A PLURALITY OF STRAPS RESTING ON SAID SURFACE ANDEXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSED SIDES OF THE LOWER RECTANGULAR RAILING, EACHOF SAID STRAPS INCLUDING MEANS ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THE STRAPS FORDETACHABLY SECURING SUCH ENDS TO THE SIDE RAILS FORMING SUCH OPPOSEDSIDES OF SAID LOWER RECTANGULAR RAILING; A STRONG RECTANGULAR UPPERRAILING OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME DIMENSIONS AS SAID LOWER RECTANGULARRAILING, SAID UPPER RECTANGULAR RAILING INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF UPPERSIDE RAILS AND MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID UPPER SIDE RAILSTOGETHER ADJACENT THEIR ENDS TO FORM THE FOUR SIDES OF SAID RECTANGULARUPPER RAILING; A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY VERTICAL POSTS DETACHABLYSECURED TO SAID UPPER RAILING AND TO SAID LOWER RAILING AT LEAST FOUR OFSUCH POSTS BEING RESPECTIVELY AT THE CORRESPONDING CORNERS OF SAIDRAILINGS; AND A PLASTIC WATERPROOF LINER RELEASABLY SECURED TO SAIDUPPER RECTANGULAR RAILING AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A LARGE QUANTITY OFWATER, SAID POOL BEING FREE OF LATERAL SUPPORT EXTENDING OUTWARDLYBEYOND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID UPPER RECTANGULAR RAILING.